Paris Nice 2022: Teasing Each Other

Michael Morkov (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) had been up the road in the original 20 man break away at the start of the climb of the Col de Turini - although the measured climb had yet to start.  As he dropped off the pass and was caught by the peloton he made a very Italian looking gesture to Luke Rowe (Ineos-Grenadiers).  Morkov was pretending to be offended that his friend and oft times companion in the groupetto had chased him down.  It brought a big smile to Rowe's face and to that of Rowe's teammate the Spanish Champion Omar Fraille.  Given the effort that was going into the pace of the peloton, I'm sure a little levity was much appreciated.

This is a small 4x6 inch original watercolor painting that is available through my website at greigleach.com or you can simply follow the direct link at the end of the post to purchase the painting above. Since it is an original work of art, it is a first come first served reality. The painting was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.Richesonart.com. The work sells for $75 USD plus shipping, and yes international shipping is available.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Paris-Nice/3871880-70-272742/Painting/teasing-each-other-pn22-33.html

Paris Nice 2022: Pure Sprinting

With the sprinters having been caught out in the opening stage of Paris Nice, the pressure was that much higher on the pure sprinters in the race.  The echelons out on course made it that much more difficult for the pure sprinters to be there to contest for stage honors today.  Yet again it was Christian Laporte (Jumbo Visma) who opened up the sprint with his teammate Wout Van Aert on his wheel.  But it was the pure sprinter Fabio Jakobsen (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) who came around the Jumbo Visma duo to take out the victory in Orleans. The win is just that much more special since a horrible crash in the Tour of Poland two years ago left him near death.  Along with the other two all-rounders was the former World Champion, Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) taking fifth on the day.  There is realistically just one more day for the sprinters to shine.

This is a small 4x6 inch original watercolor painting that is available through my website at greigleach.com or you can simply follow the direct link at the end of the post to purchase the painting above. Since it is an original work of art, it is a first come first served reality. The painting was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.Richesonart.com. The work sells for $75 USD plus shipping, and yes international shipping is available.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Paris-Nice/3870710-46-272742/Painting/pure-sprinting-pn22-9.html

Strade Bianche: Looking to Get Across

With his team leader off the back, Kasper Asgreen (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) went off in search of the lone leader.  Asgreen build up about forty seconds on the chasers but never got closer than a half minute to the winner of Strade Bianche, Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates).  The Dane was eventually joined by the old man of the peloton, Alejandro Valverde (Movistar).  Valverde had enough to take second on the day, but Asgreen did finish on the final step of the podium.

This is a small 4x6 inch original watercolor painting that is available through my website at greigleach.com or you can simply follow the direct link at the end of the post to purchase the painting above. Since it is an original work of art, it is a first come first served reality. The painting was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.Richesonart.com. The work sells for $75 USD plus shipping, and yes international shipping is available.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Spring-Classics-/3870319-463-195767/Painting/looking-to-get-across-sb22-11.html

Strade Bianche: Victims of the Pace & the Gravel

Having done what he could for the team, Pieter Serry (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) drops off the back of the peloton and rides the rest of the way to Sienna off the back of the group.  Miguel Angel Lopez (Astana Qazaqstan) had another reason for being off the back.  While we didn't see him crash, Lopez, seemed to have been involved in some sort of crash that left him with a broken rear derailleur.  With no team car in sight, he simply kept walking up the road in hopes of their imminent arrival with another bike.  Given that there was just 23 kilometers to race, it was unlikely he would be able to contest for even a top ten finish now.

This is a small 4x6 inch original watercolor painting that is available through my website at greigleach.com or you can simply follow the direct link at the end of the post to purchase the painting above. Since it is an original work of art, it is a first come first served reality. The painting was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.Richesonart.com. The work sells for $75 USD plus shipping, and yes international shipping is available.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Spring-Classics-/3870318-462-195767/Painting/victims-of-the-pace-the-gravel-sb22-10.html

Strade Bianche: Up and Chasing Back

As a rule, I don't paint the crashes, and while the big crash that left Julian Alaphillipe (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) chasing the peloton was something spectacular to see, I'm sticking to that rule.  Several riders called it quits after literally getting blown off their bikes on the gravel section of Strade Bianche as the winds whipped across the high ridge road.  After doing an aerial summersault and his bike flying a good ten feet into the air, the World Champion had to get himself sorted as quickly as possible.  Two of his teammates Mauro Schmid and Mikkel Frolich Honore paced him back into one of the chase groups, but at 96 kilometes to go he was two and a half minutes behind the leaders and nearly two minutes behind the main contenders.  I am happy to say that despite the nay sayers commenting on the race, he was able to rejoin the race and have some influence on the rest of the proceedings.  Ultimately, though, the effort to chase back left him too spent to contest the finale.

This is a small 4x6 inch original watercolor painting that is available through my website at greigleach.com or you can simply follow the direct link at the end of the post to purchase the painting above. Since it is an original work of art, it is a first come first served reality. The painting was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.Richesonart.com. The work sells for $75 USD plus shipping, and yes international shipping is available.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Spring-Classics-/3870242-459-195767/Painting/up-and-chasing-back-sb22-7.html